— Threatens strike over decry collapsed health sector, poor pay

By Dayo Johnson Akure

Medical doctors in Ondo State have threatened to embark on industrial action, citing worsening conditions in the state’s health sector and poor welfare.

Speaking at a joint press briefing in Akure, Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Ondo State Chapter, Dr. Abel Alonge, said years of neglect had led to a critical shortage of doctors, overstretched staff, and dilapidated facilities.

“The number of doctors serving the state today has dropped by about half of what it was 12 years ago. Back then, Ondo had a population of 3.5 million. Today it’s 5.8 million, yet the number of doctors has halved,” Alonge said.

He said many general hospitals now operate with one doctor or none, forcing the few available to work under extreme pressure without rest.

Ondo’s doctor-to-population ratio now stands at 1:6,200, far below the World Health Organisation’s recommended 1:600. Alonge said it was the worst in the South West.

“Many facilities use equipment that is 10 to 20 years old. Some don’t even have the basic tools needed to treat patients,” he added.

Alonge faulted the state government’s recent recruitment drive, saying the 30 doctors announced were mostly retired doctors and house officers in training, not substantive staff to fill the gap.

Low Pay Driving Exodus
Chairman of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, Ondo Chapter, Dr. Stephen Adewole, said Ondo was the lowest-paying state for healthcare workers in the South West.

He said poor remuneration had triggered an exodus of doctors to Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, and Osun, and even within Nigeria, worsening the staffing crisis across general hospitals, primary health centres, and specialist facilities.

Adewole said a federal circular on revised remuneration for medical practitioners, released in November 2025 to curb brain drain, had not been implemented in Ondo despite repeated engagements.

President of the Association of Resident Doctors, Ondo State, Dr. Kehinde Olagbe, said doctors were “overworked, underpaid, and unsafe,” and accused the government of silence on their demands.

Demands and Ultimatum
The doctors demanded immediate implementation of the federal circular with arrears, better welfare packages, urgent recruitment, and rehabilitation of health infrastructure.

They warned that failure to act within a fresh seven-day ultimatum could force them into industrial action, following earlier 14-day and 21-day notices.

The strike would further disrupt healthcare services already strained across the state.